The Flight of the Lost Children
by Hunter13hawkie
Summary: The Nymphs existed for centuries, but humankind drove them to extinction. In order to bring them back, Dr Kogami kidnaps six children and exposes them to the last Nymph magic. The experiment is a success, but the Nymphs suffer in their cages. Unable to listen to their screams, Ryouken releases them and Nymphs escape to the sanctuary known as Cyberse. How long until they are found?


**Chapter 1: Peace in Cyberse**

The gentle breeze of the warm spring air caressed a sleeping form of a young teen curled up in a ball. His wings twitched and soon his eyes slowly opened. The Nymph stirred in his little nest, wanting to sleep a few more minutes but knew he should get up soon.

"Morning Yusaku!" little purple orb floated right towards his face "Or should I say good afternoon?"

"Quit it Ai. This joke stopped being funny ages ago." he grumbled as he stretched his limbs, the wings unfolding from their crumpled state.

Ai only grinned and circled around the room. Like always, it was neatly tidied up, just like Yusaku liked it. Besides the nest made of straw and cushioned with cotton blankets, there was a table surrounded by bookshelves full of scrolls, a wooden box where he kept his things and a single big slit, veiled by heavy curtains that served both as a window and a door.

Yusaku switched his dark blue sleeping gown for a long tunic, navy blue vest and simple khaki pants. He didn't bother with shoes since he only used them for rainy and cold days. Why would a Nymph even need shoes if they barely touched the ground anyway? Instead, Yusaku wrapped several linen tapes around his ankles and wrists for minimum protection. And so he was set.

The meek sunlight was peeking through the treetops as the birds and other small animals were returning to their nests, getting ready for sleep and leaving the forest to the nightlife. Yusaku was one of those. As a nocturnal Nymph, he preferred the night over day and dark over light unlike the rest of the flock. Though he would still wake up around afternoon hours when the sunlight wasn't as strong and others were still awake.

Others were the rest of the flock, five more Nymphs, each a different kind. Yusaku flew towards the stream with a crystal clear water where he washed up and tried to fix the pink and blue spikes of his hair.

"Earth!" Ai chirped once he noticed another floating orb that looked just like him except it was orange.

If Earth was here, Specter must be nearby, Yusaku thought. And he was. The silver-haired Nymph whose wings were painted by different shades of yellow and orange was collecting fruits that were hanging from a massive tree. The Nymph noticed the newcomer through Earth and gave Yusaku a nod, greeting him. By now the dark Nymph was used to his mannerism since he knew well just how socially awkward Specter was.

"We will start making dinner soon." Spectre stated simply while handing Yusaku a few fruits "Would you mind taking these to Jin? I have a feeling he didn't eat since breakfast again."

The dark Nymph nodded, taking the food and heading towards one of the tree houses. Each member of the flock had a place of their own in the form of a treehouse where they slept and stored their possessions. All six of them were connected by suspended bridges and a covered platform where they would meet up for meals or when they were planning something together. Majority of the flock would spend the time outside of those small settlements, providing for their tiny community or doing something they liked. Like the two fellow Nymphs that were flying straight towards him, nearly crushing against the tree due to bickering with each other so much.

"Hey, you cheated!"

"Did not!"

"You agreed you wouldn't be using Windy this time!"

"And you agreed you wouldn't be using shortcuts!"

The two Nymphs were arguing with each other, their wings angrily fluttering and from the sound of unintelligent gibberish so were their constant companions, Flame and Windy. Ai couldn't even greet them from their loud bickering. Takeru, the fire Nymph kept his arms crossed, pointing his blue eyes at the wind Nymph Kazuto who was pouting like a child. They stared daggers at each other for some more time and then all of a sudden they looked at Yusaku like he was their mother to whom they could complain.

Yusaku sighed, way too tired to be a judge of their daily arguments, so he just let it slide and he rather focused on the sacks that the Nymphs were carrying. Every Nymph would have a task that contributed to their little community in some way or another. Specter, for example, would grow useful plants, like the apple-like fruits that he had given to Yusaku. Even though the Nymphs mostly ate a plant-based diet, they would also add some meat to their meals from time to time. That was Takeru's and Kazuto's task, fishing and gathering various herbs, bird's eggs, mushrooms and other useful things. These things were usually located near the mountainside which was rather far, so the duo would often compete who would get there and back faster.

"I won't be the judge again…" Yusaku sighed, ignoring their pouting faces "Why don't you rather go prepare the fish? Specter said we are about to start dinner."

Sensing another chance of competition, the two Nymphs quickly grabbed their bags and headed towards the hollow tree that served both as a storage and a kitchen. Yusaku had a feeling Takeru and Kazuto will try to race who will gut more fish or store more goods, but that was nothing to worry about. Out of everyone in the flock, the fire Nymph and the wind Nymph had the most energy and they had to use it up somewhere. Yusaku nearly followed them when he remembered about Specter's request.

Yusaku quietly flew to Jin's house, politely knocking next to the entrance. Almost instantly a yellow orb came out of the house, blinking like a firefly. Ai was going to give him his usual loud "Lightning!" but the orb shushed him and nudged to get inside. Jin's house was much bigger than Yusaku's since the light Nymph kept a lot more things in there. The walls were covered by numerous paintings, depicting pieces of Nymph culture and Jin's own art. There were also scrolls, human books, a weaving device and all sorts of projects that Jin was currently working on. Yusaku was rather impressed by everything that a fellow Nymph created though deep down he knew the true reason behind it.

The light Nymph was sitting in the corner of the room surrounded by pillows and blankets, his arms hugging his knees and his bright yellow wings twitching like a leaf in the storm. Lightning was floating right next to his face, whispering gentle words in hopes to calm him down. Yusaku knew that Jin needed some time before he was alright again so he busied himself by preparing the fruit for him. The dark Nymph took his time peeling and cutting the fruit on small pieces, all while Ai helped Lightning to cheer up Jin. The light Nymph managed to pull himself together and slowly walked towards his desk, distracting himself by rearranging all the paints and brushes.

"Specter is sending you this. You should eat some fruit before dinner." Yusaku set the plate on the desk.

"_Thank you." _

Even years later, Yusaku still couldn't get used to Jin's telepathy. It always felt like some foreign object was protruding into his head, but he brushed it aside, knowing that Jin could barely talk. The fact that he was interacting with the flock in the first place was in a way impressive enough. The light Nymph didn't only have the power to talk using his mind, but could also hear others' thoughts as well. And the thoughts of a flock were anything but pleasant.

A slight shiver ran down Yusaku's spine, the memory of the pain still so real in his skin. How many years has it been by now? Eight, nine? He didn't know for sure. It was a long time ago and yet it still felt like it was only yesterday when their suffering finally ended. Well, at least some of their suffering. Jin suddenly grimaced, alarming Yusaku to stop his train of thought that was accidentally protruding in Jin's own mind.

"I'm sorry about that." Yusaku apologized, his wings briefly stroking Jin's wings as its means of comforting him "I keep forgetting that you still have trouble controlling your power when we are this close to you."

"_It's alright."_ Jin took a bite of the fruit _"I need to learn how to control it anyway."_

"The dinner will be soon. Will you come?" Yusaku asked, concerned about Jin's episode.

"_I will don't worry."_ the light Nymph gave him a nod.

The sentence was assuring enough so the dark Nymph proceeded to exchange those few words with the light Nymph and then left, leaving Jin to finish the fabric he was weaving. Besides painting and reading, weaving was another coping mechanism to ease the troubling mind of a light Nymph. The Nymphs had already enough second-hand clothes by the time they first arrived in the Cyberse, but since their bodies would grow and their clothes would get damaged, Takeru's and Kazuto's especially, they needed fabric to repair or modify them. Besides edible fruits, Specter also grew plants like cotton and flax and Takeru and Kazuto collected hair from fuzzy animals that would get caught in the thorny bushes. Then Yusaku would clean and prepare the threads and Jin would weave, making new fabric.

"It sure smells nice!" Ai exclaimed, reminding Yusaku where he was supposed to go next.

Specter was already cooking something in a stone pot, the smell of spices and vegetables filling the air. Takeru was standing next to him, his eyes completely focused on the flames that kept the soup at the right temperature. There was no sight of Kazuto which probably meant he was either storing the rest of the fish or preparing the table. Since there didn't appear to be any help needed from him at the kitchen area, he flew off to their little dining area that was close to being ready. Kazuto and Windy might've been a bunch of energetic tricksters, but when they settled to do something they did it, even better than intended usually.

"Dinner will be served soon." Kazuto bowed like a butler would to a guest when Yusaku took a seat.

"You don't have to do that every time you know." the dark Nymph mumbled even though Ai looked overly satisfied with the royal treatment.

"Why, thank you." Ai giggled which earned him a push from Windy.

"Don't act so high and mighty." Windy barked "You have the least magical abilities out of all of us, Ignis."

"I-I can see in the dark!" Ai whined.

"And so can cats. Can you create a storm? Read people's minds? Control the flames? Make plants grow faster? Heal?" the Kazuto's orb laughed.

"That's enough Windy." Kazuto pulled his Ignis away "Just because you have more magical abilities doesn't mean you're smarter than Ai."

"D-Did… Did you just call me stupid?!" Windy shook in rage "I-I am based on you!"

"And I don't mind it. You're the only one who does." the wind Nymph showed his tongue which only enraged Windy more along with Kazuto ignoring his insults.

In the meanwhile, Specter and Takeru brought the pot with soup to the low table. Since there was no need for chairs, which were extremely uncomfortable for their wings, the Nymphs sat on the floor on fluffed pillows. As Kazuto was pouring the soup, all while Windy was still complaining, Jin managed to crawl out of his house as well. Like always he was wrapped up in a soft blanket over his shoulders. Yusaku could still recall how all of them made that blanket, collecting the softest animal fluff that they could find, gathering the thickest garments they had and remaking them into Jin's cape-like blanket. He seemed to be better than usual, so Kazuto poured him extra soup in hopes he'll eat more this time. The light Nymph thanked him with a nod and slowly began to sip on the warm meal.

The flock was nearly complete with only one member missing. The only female Nymph in the group. Nearly five minutes have passed before she showed up at the table, ever so gracefully, being the most Nymph out of them all from the way she dressed and how educated she was about Nymph culture. The water Nymph would spend every single day studying the scrolls left behind by other members of her kind, carefully following their customs and the way of living. While the rest of the flock did respect their culture in some way or another, she took it the most seriously, encouraging others to dedicate more time to their roots every single day.

"Were you working on that medicine again?" Takeru asked after slightly reheating her plate with his powers.

"Not really." she took a few sips of the soup "I was trying to improve the sleep herb mixture."

As the only somewhat of a doctor, the entire flock depended on her knowledge and abilities. Not only was the water Nymph able to heal the injuries with the special powder produced by her wings, she knew which plants to grind, cook or dry in order to make the specific medication. Who knows if entire flock had been the same would she not provide them with medicine that helped them sleep at night. Her Ignis, Aqua also had an ability to analyse any kind of ingredients, knowing which were needed for various recipes.

"Do you need any particular plants for it?" Earth asked Aqua since their Nymphs were eating.

"Not at the moment, but we'll probably need some for the next testing." Aqua gratefully replied, "Aoi has been working so hard to improve the sleep mixture for Jin."

The words made Jin blush a bit, burying his face in the blanket. The flock didn't mind it, knowing that Jin was definitely the baby of the group. How could he not be if everyone was constantly making sure he was eating, sleeping and was overall feeling alright?

Though at the same time, they could hardly imagine what he was going through every single night. The first few weeks were hard for everyone. No one could sleep without waking up from night terrors, reliving the torture over and over again. No one could eat anything without throwing up. And no one could make a single step or a flutter. Who knows how they survived, but eventually they managed to pick themselves up.

But not Jin.

Whatever horrors each of them was living, Jin got it much worse. Five times worse to be exact. The light Nymph was suffering from his own scars enough and to top it all, his ability made him feel the pain of others as well. As soon as others partially got through the worst, they did everything they could to ease his pain. Specter and Aoi worked together to gather the herbs that had healing effects. Takeru and Kazuto fixed up one of the treehouses to be as cosy as possible, bringing in all the blankets that they could find. And Yusaku spent every night right next to Jin, helping him calm down if he were to suffer from a night terror.

Jin was more than grateful for their efforts and in exchange, he fixed up things for them. Takeru and Kazuto were both raised by blacksmiths and carpenters, so they had a basic knowledge how to sharpen the knives, fix the houses and store the food, but they had no idea how to fix clothes. That's where Jin came in, his skilful nibble fingers working on precise crafts. When they ran out of every possible piece of disposable clothing, it was Jin who instructed Takeru and Kazuto how to make him a weaving device and asked Specter to grow fibre crop.

Their flock may have been small, but they managed to get by for many years. It was also thanks to their Ignis who helped them recover and taught them about Nymph culture. Even now, neither of them knew what exactly Ignis were, though they've learned some crucial facts about them. Each Ignis was attached to one of them and if either of them would get hurt, the Ignis or the Nymph would feel it. If they were to get too far from one another the effect would be similar.

The wings also weren't the only thing that made them Nymphs. Specter had the ability to connect with plants and help them grow. Aoi had the ability to heal. Kazuto could fly as fast as the wind and even create wind blasts. Takeru could control flames and his wings could produce a powder that was stronger than gunpowder. Jin had by far the strongest and also the most dangerous ability since he could hear others' thoughts, talk using his mind only and could also communicate with animals. And Yusaku? He still wasn't sure what else was he capable of other than being able to see in the dark and even this wasn't exactly an ability since Dark Nymphs were nocturnal and were naturally adaptable in the night-time. Well, he did have one other ability, but considering how damaging it was, Yusaku used it only when necessary.

"Man this stuff is so good!" Kazuto exclaimed as he downed a second serving of the soup.

"Help yourself." Takeru grinned while pouring him a third bowl "We've made extra just for you."

"Heh, can't help it if I burn it out fast." the Wind Nymph grunted before making a big sip.

"Yeah, no kidding. It's like there is a hole in your stomach." the Fire Nymph shoot back.

"At least Kazu's house doesn't need to be fireproofed." Windy grinned.

"About that…" Takeru slowly turned towards Jin "Did you manage to fix my blanket."

"_It only needs a few more stitches. It should be done soon."_ Jin smiled slightly while reaching for something in his pocket _"I fixed this though."_

Jin brought out a long piece of fabric that was coloured red. Takeru's eyes literally gleamed from happiness while his wings fluttered so intensely that he nearly flew off the ground. The fire Nymph was heartbroken when his beloved scarf had gotten torn by branches during one of his races with Kazuto. He'd never expected that Jin would be able to fix it so fast and so neatly. Takeru immediately wrapped it around his neck, adoring the soft wool-like material.

"It's like new! Doesn't it look cool, Flame?"

"Indeed, just like an indomitable soul dream known as my name." Takeru's Ignis said which made his Nymph sigh hard.

"Seriously Flame? I know what your name means!"

The Nymph and his Ignis went on to bicker some more as the rest of the Flock finished their bowls. Aoi went to gather all the bowls since it was a rule that the last one to come to the table has to clean the dishes. Jin who managed to eat the whole portion handed his own bowl to Aoi and gently nudged the others with his mind which was an equivalent to clearing his throat to get attention. Takeru stopped talking with his Ignis, Specter turned towards Jin, Kazuto scooped the last spoonful of soup, Aoi put down the dishes and Yusaku was ready to listen.

All attention was now on Jin, their leader. Despite the troubling side effect of his power and being probably the most pampered of them all, the Light Nymph was by far the wisest and was the best one to lead the discussions. The dinner time wasn't only a time to eat but to have a daily meeting as well. In order to keep their community going, each Nymph had a role that they had to fulfil and report to Jin who kept all the records of their work. If they were low on supplies, if any of their tools or houses got broken or if there was anything unusual going on, Jin was the one to collect the information and instruct others how to fix those problems. Therefore, the Nymphs knew exactly what has to be done the following day.

This was also the time for any of them to reconcile with each other or entrust their worries and fears. In fact, this was actually how it started – when they were only eight they were terrified of being all on their own, away from any form of a parental figure or civilization at all. But the more they talked with each other, the more their mental scars healed. Over time they slowly began to form their little flock which led to a nicely constructive council that helped them keep it going.

"We've got enough fish for the rest of the week, but we are low on salt." Kazuto started.

"_You can go collect it tomorrow since there aren't any repairs to do. Though be careful, the caves have been crumbling lately."_ Jin replied.

"I will need some help for picking up the fruit tomorrow," Specter said nonchalantly without making eye contact with other Nymphs.

"I can give you a hand." Aoi smiled, making the Earth Nymph blush.

"_Are you done spinning the thread?"_ Jin turned towards Yusaku

"I only have one more basket left to finish."

"Does anyone want blueberries? Me and Kazu spotted a bunch of them near the caves."

"Right, we can go pick them up on the way back."

"My knife might need sharpening. It still cuts well, but the herbs I'm currently working with are really hard to cut." Aoi said.

"Oh yeah, my jacket got torn a little too. Could you fix it before it gets torn more?" Kazuto asked with a slight embarrassment.

"_Sure, as soon as I'm done with Takeru's blanket."_

"Any suggestions about what should we make for dinner tomorrow?"

For the next half of an hour, the Nymphs discussed all the questions and pre-planned the following day. Their Ignis were mostly quiet since those plans mostly concerned their Nymphs rather than them, though they would actively participate by listening in order to advise them properly. In the end, Specter and Aoi, who were in charge of storing the supplies, wrote down what was needed like a grocery list so Takeru and Kazuto had more idea what to get. Yusaku and Jin also went through their tools, clothing supply and the conditions of their houses.

The sky was already getting darker by then so while the flock cleaned the table and the plates, Takeru went to light up the torches. Normally the majority would still be up for a few more hours except for Yusaku who was nocturnal of course. Specter returned to his garden to take care of those few more crops, Aoi went back to making herbal mixtures, Jin got back to fixing the blanket and the rest just went on with whatever they usually did in their free time.

Yusaku flew back to his house, grabbing the basket full of cotton that he carefully brushed and washed a day before, and a small spinning wheel. Being raised by distant relatives near a big town, Yusaku had a bit of trouble adapting to life this close to nature, but luckily everyone else was skilled enough to teach him the basics. Spinning the fibre to yarn was the only thing he knew since this was a task reserved for children and elderly and to this day the spinning was still his greatest skill. On the way to another platform that was smaller and located higher than the one that they used for a dining room, the dark Nymph nearly bumped into Aoi who was carrying an armful of something that looked like a huge root.

"Oh, I'm sorry." the water Nymph uttered, picking those few brushed fibres that fell out of Yusaku's basket.

"You don't need to apologize, my lady." Ai blinked towards Aqua.

"Say… Yusaku…" Aoi said shyly while putting the last fibre back in the basket "Could you give me a hand during the night? I'm brewing something and it has to be stirred every couple of hours."

"I don't see why not." Yusaku replied while trying to ignore his Ignis trying to impress Aoi's Ignis "You get some rest. Pulling all-nighters several days in a row is not exactly healthy."

Aoi was a bit taken back, but knew there was no hiding it from a nocturnal Nymph. She thanked Yusaku one more time and together with Aqua she flew back to her house.

"She won't give up, won't she?" Ai asked his Nymph in a concern.

"No, she won't." Yusaku sighed "She, Kazuto, Specter and I… we all lost our parents to Demon's Grip. Her brother, Takeru's parents and Jin's family might still be alive, but they could still get infected. She won't stop until she comes up with the cure."

Ai stayed quiet as he knew how sensitive that topic was to everyone. Demon's Grip was an illness that had appeared around twenty years ago and spread like a wildfire, taking down adults and elderly. The infected would cough and have trouble breathing until they would suffocate to death. Kazuto was the only one in the flock to witness it first-hand, watching his older relatives grabbing onto their throats like someone was strangling them. This is where it got its name, Demon's Grip, since more and more people started believing it was caused by invisible demons that were sent from the heavens as divine punishment. The only ones safe were the children and young adults, and this only strengthened those beliefs since youngsters were seen as an embodiment of innocence and purity, the only people that God would spare.

But Aoi didn't buy into those beliefs one bit. In fact, her late parents were very close to discovering what exactly was causing the Demon's Grip and passed this knowledge to her brother just before they died. Her brother taught her a little and Aoi absorbed it like a sponge. Despite being only six when she saw her brother last, she remembered every single word and with a help of Aqua, Specter and Earth she continued to learn. Now she had her own little research room where she studied the healing properties of plants and kept on trying to create a cure.

Judging from the put down torch in front of Aoi's treehouse, the water Nymph indeed went to sleep which eased Yusaku's worry a bit. Since he was the only one awake when others were sleeping, he felt like he was their guardian angel or more like a guardian Nymph. All of them were vulnerable in one way or another, so the fact that at least he was out there to protect them the same way they protected him when he was asleep was reassuring enough. Despite knowing that no one could enter the Cyberse thanks to a special barrier that their Ignis created, the dark Nymph still preferred to rather play it safe than sorry.

The night was clear, a sky full of stars and the air warm just like during the day. Yusaku put down the basket and picking up the spindle he began to slowly turn fluffed up cotton into yarn. It was a slow and precise process where minutes quickly turned into hours. Ai would be usually blabbering, coming up with the silliest ideas of how they could improve Cyberse. This time he was quiet, rather floating around chasing fireflies than bragging how he impressed Aqua or made fun of other Ignis.

Before he knew it, it was already the time for other Nymphs' nest-time. The torches were being put out, filling the Cyberse with the darkness that only had the full moon and stars as a source of light. Yusaku never feared the darkness, in fact, he found shelter in it. His bioluminescent wings gave away a beautiful blue glow along with several white spots on them that looked like stars. The night vision allowed him to see the things the same way he would during the day though he could always tell the day and night apart.

There was something about the night-time that he simply found calming and whenever he wasn't spinning the yarn, patrolling or reading, he would be up in the sky, feeling the night breeze and observing the other inhabitants of Cyberse. The animals were pretty curious about the flock as they weren't afraid to approach Nymphs, especially Jin who was able to communicate with them. Whenever Jin came outside there would be birds landing onto his arms and squirrels circling around his feet, excitedly chirping each time he and Lightning used their powers.

Speaking of the Light Nymph, his torch was still lit up which must've meant he was still up. It was pretty late so Yusaku was about to fly there in order to give Jin a heads up for his bedtime when someone patted his shoulder.

"Can't sleep?" the dark Nymph asked, instantly recognizing the combination of scarlet, orange and white in Takeru's wings.

"Nah, I'm just waiting for my blanket to get finished. It's getting cold." the fire Nymph said with a hint of embarrassment.

"Don't you have at least a dozen blankets at home?" Yusaku asked which only made his friend more bashful.

"Takeru can't sleep without that one."

"Flame!"

"What? You've been tossing and turning for the past week. It's obvious you can't sleep without it."

Takeru's cheeks turned to the same shade of red as his wings and Yusaku couldn't help but smile a bit. They might've acted like adults but deep down they were still children at heart.

"Want to go for a flight?" Yusaku spread his illuminating blue wings.

"Sure why not." the fire Nymph instantly grinned "The moon is bright enough for me to see."

And so they took off. The dark Nymph took the lead right away since it was safer in case there was a branch or a tree hidden by the darkness. The purple and red glow of their Ignis were also a great provider of light, making it easier to sense their surroundings. Yusaku enjoyed those flights with Takeru since he was the only Nymph who could fly in the dark to some extent. Jin barely ever flew outside their little village. Aoi and Specter would be usually too tired from working or were pulling all-nighters. Kazuto just didn't like dark in general, so he usually went to bed as soon as the sun went down.

Yusaku stopped a bit when he noticed a couple of owlets that were branching with their parents nowhere in sight. Usually, they wouldn't interfere when it came to the wildlife, but one owlet with bright white feathers seemingly had trouble staying on a branch. The dark Nymph quickly flew there and managed to catch it before it fell too far. The owlet chirped in fear, but as soon as Yusaku placed it back to its siblings it calmed down. It surely was a sweet sight, the baby owls learning how to fly for the first time. The way the birds were flapping with their wings reminded Yusaku of how he and the rest of the flock were taking their first flight in Cyberse.

But that, unfortunately, reminded him of something else too.

The pain was instant, his head filling up with terrible images of iron bars and cold stone floor.

The sharp injections, the bleeding wounds and the feel of his body falling apart. Yusaku began to shake, his wings barely keeping him in the air.

"Yusaku!" both Ignis and Takeru yelled.

The endless days of constant pain and harsh hands poking him with needles, pulling his wings and forcing him to swallow the things that made his throat burn. The heavy chains that kept him shackled to the ground. The silence that was interrupted only by his pained moans.

Yusaku let out a scream, his hands grabbing onto his head. The dark Nymph tried to block the dark memories, but instead, more of them were coming back to him. His whole body was shaking, along with wings that could no longer flutter.

The dark Nymph couldn't even acknowledge the fall due to all the pain. His limp body was hit by branches and he couldn't move no matter how loud Ai was yelling. He was frozen, just like a puppet whose strings were cut off.

Suddenly, Yusaku felt someone grabbing onto his underarms. The ground was only a few inches below him and in the next second, he was dropped down.

"Yusaku! Are you okay?!" Takeru shouted in worry, clearly shaken up from seeing his friend nearly crush land.

He tried to look at his friend despite his growing headache preventing him to do so. The fire Nymph was picking up the pieces of branches and leaves that Yusaku had all over his body while keep asking him if he was alright. The dark Nymph nodded with his swaying head, eying the silhouette of the fellow Nymph and two glowing orbs that were calling out his name.

"Y-your… scarf…" was the only thing that he could point out at that moment.

"Hey don't worry about it. It only got ripped a bit." Takeru let out a sigh of relief "You're more important."

Yusaku smiled slightly as he tried to stand up, using a tree for support. The images were still going through his head, but they were slowly fading.

"_Think of three things…"_

He took a deep breath, imagining that face while counting to three.

"_Three things to survive…"_

Ai floated to his shoulder, murmuring something that helped his Nymph focus. Yusaku kept counting to three on his fingers until the memories were mere flashes. Takeru's warm wings touched Yusaku's trembling ones, trying to comfort him in the Nymph way. The wings were basically a big chunk of nerves and were therefore very sensitive to the touch. Wing to wing touch was very gentle and in no way invasive so the flock regularly used it whenever a fellow Nymph was in distress.

"Do you feel better?" Takeru asked after a while.

"I guess…" Yusaku stretched his wings "I can fly back."

"Okay, but just take it easy."

The dark Nymph nodded and together they flew back. They went much slower than usual, though they weren't that far from the village in the first place. The second they got there, Yusaku flew to the platform where the basket with yarn was still waiting. He was about to deliver it to Jin when Takeru showed up with two mugs, filled with steaming tea.

"This is the quickest tea you've ever made," Yusaku smirked as he took one mug.

"I've made some before we left. I just heated it up a bit." Takeru grinned before taking a big sip.

The two Nymphs talked some more, joking about whatever was on their minds while drinking tea. Yusaku recognized it as the mixture that both Takeru and Kazuto liked to drink before their nest-time. The fire Nymph and dark Nymph stared into the sky, watching stars and making up new constellations. While they did know many, it was always fun to come up with new ones. Their Ignis would make up their own too until Ai finally asked.

"Yusaku… are you really sure you are okay?" Ai asked in concerned tone "This is the third time this week."

"I'm worried about this as well." Flame added, "If Takeru hadn't caught you in time you could've seriously hurt yourself."

"I'm sorry… I just remembered again."

All of them quietened down, not sure what they should say. Yusaku noticed that one of the linen tapes around his wrists became undone, revealing fading circles. Each Nymph had their own preferred style of clothing, but all of them wore the linen tapes.

While the tapes were meant to protect their ankles and wrists they also served another purpose.

The tapes hid the remainder of their grim past.

No one wanted to see the scars from the shackles.

Yusaku quickly fixed the tapes, refusing to see what was underneath them especially after what has just happened. Takeru nervously slid his finger over his own tapes, nearly twitching when recalling the day his life changed forever.

Neither of them asked to be kidnapped, experimented on and have their bodies modified in such ways.

Takeru and Yusaku loved flying, but each time it was harder to forget what they had to go through to get those wings. As much as being turned into a Nymph was a gift, it was a curse as well. They knew they could no longer return back to their human lives without risking being hunted down and live the same life they did before they had fled that terrible place. Yusaku hardly imagined being locked up in that tiny cage again. He just couldn't, the memories would make him physically sick.

And yet, deep down a part of him wanted to remember.

Remember the person who released him from that cage.

"Did you try to remember him again?" Takeru asked in a worried tone, recognizing Yusaku's expression whenever he was trying to cover up something.

"No…" the dark Nymph sighed "But that owlet reminded me of him. Its feathers looked just like his hair."

"I don't know Yusaku… are you really sure he was real?"

"Of course he was real. Who else could've helped us escape?"

"I only remember being in a cage and next moment being in Cyberse. We were all starved and weak, so it is likely you were hallucinating. What would a kid our age even be doing there? Everyone was an adult there."

"I know he's real… he has been visiting me long before. He told me to think of three things to survive and I still use it as a coping mechanism. I wouldn't be able to imagine something like this."

"I just want to make sure you're not hurting yourself. It is dangerous enough to remember, but to dig even deeper-."

"I get that, but I want to know too." Yusaku clenched his fists "Why were we taken, why would someone experiment and torture us for two years, just why did we have to suffer like this?"

The dark Nymph gazed into stars, looking for one of many constellations that were made up. Only this one for sure wasn't the result of his own imagination. It was _his._

"_Stardust road… when in doubt it will show you the way."_

The set of stars that looked like a bridge was always there, going to many directions. By now Yusaku has followed the branches of the starry road to all edges of Cyberse, curious of where they led. There were six of them and in reverse, they led back to their village. It was obvious it was a map. That much has Yusaku figured out by now, but the map for who? The dark Nymph wanted to leave Cyberse in order to find out many times, hoping to get the answers he sought. But the rest of the flock strongly disagreed with his idea, fearing the humans may find their hideout.

"Would answers change anything?"

Takeru and Yusaku instantly turned around, failing to see anyone there. Even their Ignis were confused since despite the light from the torch they couldn't see anyone there. But they sensed a presence there and soon the fire Nymph smirked from realization. Only one person had an ability like this.

"Stop messing around Kazu." Takeru said as the foggy silhouette started appearing.

"But you react so adorably when you're scared." the wind Nymph giggled once his appearance was no longer masked, "I thought you've outgrown your childish fear of ghosts."

"Well, thanks to certain someone, I know there are people who can literally disappear into thin air." the fire Nymph pouted "But seriously, how come you're still up? You're usually the first one to hit the nest."

Kazuto picked something off the ground and the moment Takeru saw it, he rushed to grab it. His soft blanket was finally done. It might've looked a bit different, but the fire Nymph didn't care as long as it felt and smelt the same.

"Jin is so getting an extra basket of blueberries tomorrow!" Takeru chirped like a happy bird "This dude is amazing!"

"Yeah, that's at least what you could do. The poor guy has been looking all over to give it back to you in person, so I just told him to get in his nest and I'll wait for you."

"You just wanted to scare me, didn't you?"

"You could say that." Windy giggled.

The fire and wind Nymph duo went on with their friendly bickering until Takeru yawned, the tiredness of the day finally getting to him. He and Kazuto surely spent a lot of time catching the fish and gathering supplies. Unlike the wind Nymph, Takeru didn't have nearly as much energy. Patting Yusaku's shoulder, he wished him good night, before he flew back to his house with the blanket. Now only Yusaku and Kazuto were left.

"What you said before, are you still serious about it?" Kazuto crossed his arms.

"I am. And I'll get those answers one day." Yusaku stood his ground "Haven't you ever asked yourself why Nymphs are gone? Why there were so many draughts, floods and other natural disasters before Lost Incident? Why the Demon's Grip appeared? The reason why and how we were turned into Nymphs? The reason why we exist?"

"But what's the point? What will change if you learn?" the wind Nymph stepped closer, his vibrant lime green wings fluttering like he was trying to intimidate Yusaku "Aren't you happy with this life?"

This was something that has been bugging Yusaku from day one. It was true that he was somewhat happy with his relatives and daily life near the city. During the Lost Incident, he'd give anything to go back home. The life in Cyberse was… different. The first years were a challenge since their eight-year-old selves had to come up with a way to make their new lives work. And they succeeded, founding a community that benefitted them in every way possible.

Yet each Nymph missed their time as humans. Takeru and Jin missed their families, praying every day that Demon's Grip didn't get them. Aoi missed her big brother, hoping they would be able to come up with the cure together one day. Specter might've preferred Cyberse over the orphanage where he was raised, but he missed the tree that grew there. Yusaku didn't know about Kazuto, though he could say he was missing his relatives just like Yusaku did his. However, he also knew that Kazuto greatly despised humans after what he was exposed to during the Lost Incident.

"I don't know if I'm happy or not. I'm just not satisfied without knowing." Yusaku said.

In a glimpse of a second, the dark Nymph felt a strong tug of his tunic and then he was pressed against the nearby tree. Ai yelped, but Windy kept him from interfering. Kazuto's eyes were narrowed down, clearly pissed off by Yusaku's words.

"Were you happy THERE?!" the wind Nymph yelled "Were you happy when they were cutting into our skin and wings because they were CURIOUS how fast we heal?! Were you happy when they exposed us to God-knows-what because they were CURIOUS how we would react?! Were you happy when we were in those freaking CHRYSALIS CAGES?!"

"Kazuto… this is not-" Yusaku uttered in fear of seeing a fellow Nymph that outraged.

"Of course it is! Their curiosity nearly killed us! We were animals to them!" Kazuto leaned closer, the light of the torch revealing a scar across his face "The world outside no longer sees us as humans! Even our families most likely don't!"

Whatever argument Yusaku had was useless. Kazuto had a point and a very good one at that. The dark Nymph was not the kind of a person to argue, so he rather kept his mouth closed until the wind Nymph calmed down. As much as Yusaku was convinced that he needed to know, he still couldn't ignore other Nymphs' concerns.

They were scared of being captured again. The Cyberse was their home now, their shelter and sanctuary from the dangers of the outside world. Even though their past lives were as normal as human life can be, Yusaku could still see a big difference. The towns and villages have always appeared blank to him, but that was because he never saw the woods up close. The life in Cyberse was pretty much perfect because the Ignis shield kept this land in a state of eternal spring. Not only did the human world fail to provide that sense of prosperity, Yusaku doubted their bodies were capable of surviving outside Cyberse for a long time.

Kazuto and everyone else was scared of losing this piece of paradise.

"I'm sorry Kazuto…" Yusaku muttered as the wind Nymph slowly loosened his grip.

"I don't want you to be sorry." Kazuto sighed, releasing him "I want you to think. Are those answers really so important that you're willing to risk our sanctuary? Whoever saved us went to the great lengths to give us this shelter."

"But… who were they?"

"Is this about _him_?"

Yusaku was quiet, not wanting to get another lecture about his _imaginary friend._ Despite telling other members of the flock about that person, none of them could recall seeing him. Well, all except for Specter, but the earth Nymph was constantly injected by various plant poisons to test his abilities, so most of the time he was in a drug-induced daze. Still, Specter believed him and was the only Nymph who didn't completely disagree with Yusaku's plans. Many times he listened to Yusaku and even told him all that he could remember, despite the memories causing him pain.

"I'd lie if I said it wasn't." the dark Nymph sighed.

"Yusaku… even if he is real, why would he even be there? There were only grown-ups."

"But if there was another kid… just like us, then he must still be captured. We've been there for two years, just how hellish would it be four times more?"

"Look, we don't know enough and it is far too risky to leave Cyberse now. If we are ever going to the human world, we have to be prepared. And I don't mean just hiding the wings. We have to blend in the world that we left ten years ago." Kazuto kicked a broken branch in frustration "I know you want to leave, but our lives are at stake."

With that sentence, the debate was over. The wind Nymph would constantly bicker with Takeru, but when he was serious he could prove every single argument he had. It was just how Kazuto was, playful and energetic and yet he was never afraid to tell what was on his mind. When he wasn't joking around or experimenting with new flying techniques, he was the big brother figure that everyone needed. Especially Jin who missed his big brother dearly. While Yusaku watched over the light Nymph during the nights, Kazuto did during the days whenever he wasn't busy. And not only that. Windy and Lightning got along strangely well, so the wind Nymph came to visit Jin whenever he could.

"Please, just… just leave it be for a bit more. If you're that eager to go, at least do more research and have a talk with everyone. You know we care about you, but we are also trying to protect our home." Kazuto turned away, fluttering with his wings "We don't want to go back."

Kazuto flew away, back to his treehouse along with Windy who let his Nymph talk for once without interrupting him. Yusaku put away the yarn he had spun before going for a flight with Takeru. With Kazuto's torch being put out, the last day-time Nymph went to their nest and Yusaku was alone for the night. Well, if you exclude all nocturnal animals wondering around their little village that is. They were his only company besides Ai, so when the Ignis wasn't blabbering, the dark Nymph would fly around Cyberse, studying the nocturnal life. That or he would be making a thread, watching over the sleeping members of the flock or going through Nymph scrolls. He needed a couple of years to learn to read with Specter's and Aoi's help since they were the only literate Nymphs in the flock. It was hard at first, but once he got a hang of it, he would be reading the whole night, sometimes even until the sun rose.

But this night, with all that happened, Yusaku just stared in the night sky, following the trail of the Stardust Road with his eyes again. Its pathways were still leading to the same directions, but now several clouds were covering it up. The dark Nymph sat down on the edge of the platform, his legs dangling down.

He tried hard not to think about his conversation with Takeru and Kazuto. About their past and their future. About what lay in store for them.

"Yusaku…" Ai muttered, "Do you really want to do this?"

"Yeah, I've made three promises and I swore to keep them." Yusaku's wings twitched as he extended one finger "One: To never let any of us get hurt again."

The hidden scars might be fading, but the memories clinging to them felt as painful as they did ten years ago.

"Two: I won't let the Nymph kind die."

Before they were taken, Yusaku hadn't even known Nymphs existed. He could recall an old picture book with yellowed pages that had a few illustrations of "fairies", the name children used for Nymphs, because that's all that they were to them – legends, bedtime stories and pretend play. A fantasy that people could only dream about. Little did they know that Nymphs were indeed real and were nearly extinct.

He and the rest of the flock were different. They weren't born Nymphs or were ever raised like them. They were created, reshaped and constructed to look like something they weren't. The day their bodies were no longer human was still so real to him. But no matter how much it hurt, Yusaku couldn't blame Nymphs for their suffering. He blamed the people who kidnapped them, the people who kept them in cages and hurt them. Never the Nymphs. Neither of them ever saw an actual Nymph, only the other members of the flock and yet they somehow knew it was the Nymphs that helped them escape. How else would they get to this village that was seemingly made for Nymphs? There were even scrolls with detailed notes for them to learn how to survive and adapt to a new culture. They might've been born humans, but now they carried the wings of legacy. Yusaku didn't understand it at first, but over the years he learned to appreciate this kind that was so close to nature and was surrounded by so much life.

"Three: I will save the person who saved me."

His thoughts travelled back to the days of the Lost Incident. Back to when his form, curled in a ball, was barely alive, lying behind bars.

"_Hey! Hey you!" boy's voice echoed through the room._

_Yusaku had no strength to look up, so the boy crunched down until their eyes met. The dark Nymph barely saw anything due to something that had been injected in him just before the boy entered the room. He could only sort out the boy's white hair and purple clothing that he was wearing._

"_Think of three things. Three things to survive."_

"_T-three… t-thin…gs…" Yusaku repeated, not knowing if he was imagining things or if this was real._

"_Yes, three things. Three reasons to hold still a bit longer." the boy held onto the bars of the Nymph's cage "You will be able to go home soon."_

"_Ho…me?" the young Nymph repeated but the second his vision cleared up, the boy was no longer there._

_The same thing repeated over and over again. The boy would visit him, told him to think of three things to survive in order to go home and then disappeared. At first, Yusaku was confused, not sure if he was seeing right, but the more time passed more believable the mysterious white-haired boy felt. He kept repeating three things until Yusaku started saying them every time the boy appeared, hoping he will stay a bit longer. _

_And at times, he did. _

_The boy would be sitting right next to his cage, talking about the stories of stars. He would be repeating the legend of Stardust Road over and over again, explaining it in detail to the point where Yusaku could actually see the stars in his mind. The dark Nymph took in every word like a sponge, trying to find out more about his secret visitor. However, no matter how many times he managed to utter a question with his raspy voice or his eyes managed to see better, the boy was gone. Yusaku kept repeating the three things until it became his coping mechanism. If he felt like giving up, the image of white-haired boy would appear in his head and he thought of three things to help him get through the pain. He wasn't sure how much time have passed since the boy's first visit, but he surely remembered his last. _

_Yusaku was very weak on that day, his starving body and crumpled wings splayed across the bottom of the cage like a broken doll. He has been going through really tough experiments for the last few weeks, each making him feel like his body was falling apart. At that point, even the three things tactic didn't work since the poor Nymph could hardly think. Then all of a sudden, the boy rushed into the room, his voice not as calm as it usually was._

"_It's over. You can go home now."_

_Yusaku barely acknowledged that the boy was holding something that looked like a key and just as the doors of his cage opened, the dark Nymph lost consciousness. _

_Next time he woke up, he and the rest of the flock were wrapped up in blankets, lying in one of the treehouses in Cyberse along with their Ignis. There was no sight of the boy or the ones who brought them there. Yusaku didn't know why, but at that moment he wanted to see that boy again to thank him, if only for helping him get through this ordeal._

Now nearly eight years later, Yusaku has put the pieces of his memories together, trying hard to remember the person who gave him courage. Even though he wasn't sure, he swore he'll meet the boy who was a teen now and save him as well.

Ai asked him multiple times how he was so sure that the boy needed to be saved and Yusaku always replied it was just something he felt.

An instinct, an urge, a sense to make things right.

"Just you wait… we'll watch Stardust Road together." the Dark Nymph whispered as the tiny tear slipped down his cheek.

* * *

Hope you like my first Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS fanfic! It's been in planning for nearly a year and it's about time I publish it. The concept of Nymph culture was heavily inspired by Ori and The Blind Forest video game. It might not be that visible just yet, but the similarities will be noticeable soon. If you haven't play it yet and you like Metroidvania style games with outstanding art style, breathtaking soundtrack and a rich story, I highly recommend it. I'm playing it for the third time already and honestly, I can't get tired of it.

I'm well aware that Aoi is not a Lost Child, but I was planning all of this around the time when Miyu wasn't mentioned yet. But don't worry, Miyu will have an important role in this too, just you wait. Windy's child or Kazuto - I decided for that name because "kaze" means wind and because it sounds similar to Kazuki Takahashi, the original creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!) - the majority of information about him is completely made-up since he got so little screentime in anime. I kinda imagined him to be a lot like Takeru, so he has a lot of similar personality traits. I kinda also needed a big brother of the group, so Kazuto has some of those traits as well along with Windy's. It was really fun to write the interactions between them since it honestly feels like Kazuto is Windy's mom or older sibling who knows how to shut them up. If you have any other additional questions about characters, story or Nymph culture, feel free to ask, I will gladly answer. :D

I'm also planning to do the cover image for this fanfic, but since it is still in a sketch stage right now, you are getting Nymph Yusaku for now. You can see the full drawing on my tumblr, 3w-writer-with-wings : . tumblr 1b726520f2f1a6ec93fd88cb4f7191c0 /tumblr_pspay65XC51uxonzmo1_

If you're curious - his wings are a mixture of Blue Swordtail, Spotted Swordtail and Blue Tiger Moth. Which Nymph Child would you like to see next? I have sketches done for Takeru and Aoi while I'm still struggling with clothes for Specter, Jin and Kazuto.

As always, kudos, reviews, questions, critics and theories highly appreciated!


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